Titanfall: Injustice
by Toa of War
Summary: Dustin McHawken, a former Pilot in the US Titan Corps, now a humble lumberjack in The Frontier. He has a beautiful wife and a single son, two things that he loved more than anything in the known galaxy. But when the IMC show up to take his land and he refuses, Dustin's life is sent spiraling out of control as he is absorbed into a war he never thought he'd have to fight.
1. Tragedy

Tranquility, a quiet, gorgeous world of untouched terrain and resources. Beautiful forests lined the planet's surface and tall mountains dotted the land. The temperature was temperate, with mediocre winters and warm, shiny summers. It was a true sister planet to Earth, at least, back in older times. Large cities were near nonexistence on the planet, there being only five at the most. The planet was host to mostly medium-sized towns, and then the outliers who chose to live further away...

Dustin snapped his eyes open. His obnoxious alarm blared into his right ear, forcing him to smack the damn machine. Sierra, his wife, lay next to him, disturbed by the noise as well. Dustin swung his legs out from under the comforter and stood, stretching his muscles. He turned around and leaned towards his wife, kissing her forehead softly.

"Sorry, Sierra" He said.

"I'm used to it. Don't worry" She spoke softly, her long blue hair splayed out across the bed. "Just don't wake up Liam."

Dustin took only his usual ten minutes getting ready in the restroom. He walked out in over to his dresser, putting on a black long-sleeve shirt and jeans. Walking out of the room, he snuck past his son's bedroom and down the stairs.

Breakfast was nothing but a protein shake and two graham crackers. He was finishing his last bite as he opened the front door and quietly shut it behind him. A cool breeze greeted him as he took his first steps outside toward the barn, which sat in his front yard. A large, expansive forest was immediately to the right of his house, and tall mountains lay in the horizon.

Being a lumberjack, his wife, then fiancé, questioned why he was so adamant on having a large barn on the property. The answer was quite simple….

"Maximus, you awake?" Dustin said as he opened the door.

Blue lights appeared inside the barn, and rose 20 feet in the air. Stomping was heard and Dustin stepped back as an Atlas-Class Titan emerged from the barn, dirtied from years of lumber work. He tried to keep him clean, but it's not exactly easy.

" _A human's definition of sleep is not something I can accomplish, Dustin"_ The Titan said.

Dustin smiled. "Being a smartass again?"

" _Precisely"_

Dustin shook his head. "Alright, let's go to Anthony's for that wood." He ran his hand over his face, feeling his short facial hair as he tried to wipe the morning grogginess away.

" _Yes. Would you like to embark?"_

"Nah. It's a nice day, I'll ride on your shoulder."

Maximus reached down as Dustin lifted his arms to be parallel with his shoulders. The metal fingers he trusted wholeheartedly wrapped around him and lifted him off the ground. He took hold of handlebars at the top of his Titan as he let him go.

"Alright, Max. Let's go."

* * *

" _I must ask, why does a lumberjack need to take wood from someone else?"_

"Eh, I suppose I didn't really need to. But Anthony was offering it up so I decided why leave it to rot. I'll take it into town and sell it then give him a portion of the profit when he gets back at the end of the week" Dustin responded from atop his Titan.

Maximus carried a large tree in his hands, marching towards the house. The sun had fully risen and was nearing the center of the sky. It normally didn't take him long to get to Anthony's and back, but he stayed for a few early drinks. God knows he needed it.

" _Understandable. I will set the tree down by the barn and tell Sierra we have come home."_

"Thanks, Max. I'll get the chainsaw revved up. I am going to need you to carry the chunks back to the pile." Dustin said.

" _Acknowledged."_

Maximus set the tree down, then reached up and lifted Dustin off his shoulder and set him at the barn entrance. As Max stomped off, sunlight poured into the barn as Dustin opened the double-doors. His workbench lined the wall near the back.

Under it sat his chainsaw, inside the casing. He reached under and heaved it onto the bench, the easily flipped open the locks and lifted the lid. An orange power tool presented itself. The man ran through his standard check over the fuel and chain. With everything good, he slid on his gloves, grabbed his goggles, and took the handle in his right hand and made for the doorway.

The chainsaw, now roaring with life, cut into the tree. Splinters blew everywhere and bounced off Dustin's skin. A small shard bounced off his goggles, barely fazing him due to his past experiences. The first chunk of wood came off the tree, Dustin raising his tool and kicking the log away.

He saw his six-year old son run from the house and towards him. With the chainsaw turned off, he set it down and removed his goggles and gloves, then received his son with open arms.

"Hey, Bud! How you doing today?"

"I'm good, daddy! Momma wanted to know what you wanted for dinner tonight?" Liam asked.

Dustin playfully thought for a moment. "Well, tell mommy I didn't import that beef for nothing. Tonight's a burger night!"

Liam cheered before charging back to the house. Dustin resumed his work as Maximus approached and carried the segments he cut off. One by one, the segments were cut and carried off by Maximus. Finally, after twenty minutes of chopping and carrying, Dustin put away his chainsaw and opened a fridge inside his barn. His throat welcomed the cool water as it rushed down to his stomach.

Wiping sweat off his brow, he walked back into the sunlight of Tranquility. He lifted the water bottle to his lips.

" _Dustin, my optics spot a truck approaching in the distance. Approximately 5 kilometers' out. It bears the insignia of the Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation,"_ Maximus pointed down the dirt road that led to the house.

Dustin choked on his water and coughed. He wiped his mouth with his forearm and watched the pure white truck close the distance. As it pulled up, five soldiers in white combat uniforms hopped out of the bed, one bearing the chevron of sergeant on his shoulder pad.

"Sarge!" Dustin called.

The man turned and looked at him, then approached. "Are you Dustin McHawken?" He asked.

"Yes. What are you doing here?"

"The IMC has recently conducted a scan of this territory. We have picked up a significant amount of oil under your property. The Corporation wishes…."

"Not a chance," Dustin interrupted.

The Sergeant had an unsure look on his face. "But, Sir, we are prepared to offer you a reasonable sum of credits…."

"Again, not happening." Dustin felt a tug on his pant leg. Looking down, he saw Liam with his arms wrapped around his calf. He glanced behind him and saw Sierra standing next to Maximus. The other IMC troops seemed extremely uneasy with the mech being around. Fully knowing why, Dustin couldn't blame them. After all, he used to make a living out of doing the very thing they were afraid of.

"Mr. McHawken, you do understand the IMC ALWAYS gets what it wants."

Dustin rubbed the top of Liam's head, smiling devilishly. "Max! Take Liam to the backyard to play!"

The Titan playfully motioned to Liam and brought him to the backyard. Dustin turned to the Sergeant, fury in his eyes. "Well, if the IMC wants it, tell those corporate bastards to come and get it! Tell them they will have to rip the deed from my cold, dead hands! My dad and I didn't serve in the US military to lose our land to some greedy gold diggers looking for a small supply of oil!"

Dustin pressed his forefinger into the Sergeant's chest-plate. "Tell them to bring it on! I was a damn Pilot, and I still have both the gear and the Titan to show for it! So, go ahead, run away and bring more! I dare you!"

The Sergeant was taken aback by the sudden assertiveness of Dustin. His squad trained their  
R-201 carbines on him. He told them to stand down. "Get back in the truck! We'll be back, McHawken. I hope you're prepared to lose it all." The Sergeant boarded the armored vehicle, and they were gone.

Sierra watched as Dustin stalked off to the back yard. After processing what had just transpired, she promptly followed him. He stood with his arms crossed, watching his son and Titan play hide-and-seek. Maximus was hiding behind a tree far too thin to cover his chassis. Liam found him almost instantly.

 _"Oh no! You've found me!"_ Maximus tried to sound surprised. It still was truly amazing at how Maximus went from a war machine to a family member capable mimicking emotion. Dustin always said that, in truth, Maximus did possess emotions, he just had to find them. Sierra liked to think it was Dustin's charisma that brought out these emotions, it was the original attribute that attracted her to him after all.

He was smiling as he watched Liam going full sprint across the yard, laughing all the way as Maximus easily closed the distance in a few steps. She wrapped her arms around his waist and embraced him. His arm came around her shoulder.

"It's beautiful how a giant robot and a little boy can get along so well," Sierra said.

"It truly is. I hope it doesn't all come crashing down."

"Do you think it will?"

Dustin didn't answer. Instead, he let go of Sierra, and walked over to the storm cellar doors on the rear of the house, just under the deck. He opened them and disappeared inside. Sierra wanted to follow, but he always said she wasn't allowed down there. Dustin was not a controlling husband what-so-ever, but the one thing he never allowed anyone into was the storm shelter. Maximus wasn't going to give answers either, the two were far too deep into the neural bond that a Pilot and Titan share to even remotely hesitate in saying no.

She sighed, it wasn't hard to guess what was down there. They dated while he was in the US Titan Corps. She just wanted to see it for herself, see his former glory. He was a born soldier from a long line of family warriors, but he retired from service when they were wed, a first for any man in the McHawken family. His father served alongside him, but retired when he was diagnosed with cancer. He died two years after, his last gift to his son being this land.

Dustin had emerged from the storm doors and shut them. He rubbed the back of his neck before going in the house.

"Be careful, Liam! Max, I want him in before dark!" Sierra yelled.

The Titan turned and gave thumbs up before continuing to follow the young boy. Sierra entered the living room from the back door and followed the sound of dishes clattering in the kitchen. She found him leaning on the counter eating a sandwich. He glanced over to her and swallowed.

"You know, it's kinda your job to make me these." He teased.

Sierra smiled. In light of his anger a mere ten minutes ago, he still retained his sense of humor.

"So, what are you going to do about the IMC?" She asked.

"Nothing. They won't come. They know I am a former Pilot who still has his Titan, and all of their Titans are being rallied to combat the Frontier Militia. They cannot afford to send in troops after the destruction of Demeter's refueling facility," Dustin replied.

Sierra thought about his words. The IMC was tenacious. That was their most commendable attribute, even if it was utilized in a negative way.

"Well, if you're sure about that, I feel better."

Dustin finished his food. "Good." He checked the time one the stove top. It was noon. "Well, I'm going into town to sell these logs. I'll see you later, babe." He kissed Sierra before grabbing his truck keys. A few minutes later, she could hear the truck start and drive to the backyard for Maximus to load the logs. Ten minutes later, Dustin was gone.

* * *

Night had fallen on the McHawken household. Dustin had settled into his recliner in front of his TV with an iced tea. Sierra was upstairs reading and Maximus was playing with Liam outside. Peering out the back-door window, he could see the fluorescent blue lights of his Titan friend.

He stared back at the TV. News of recent Militia assaults on IMC territory popped up more and more every day. This actually eased his mind a bit. Truthfully, he lied to his wife earlier. Dustin felt the threat of the IMC was true. And it was imminent. Trying to push it to the back of his head, he looked over at a memorabilia table against the stair case. Resting on it was battle damaged Pilot helmet and a stand holding a B3 Wingman revolver. Dustin stood up to examine them, then looked down at the photograph framed in between.

It was a picture of his father and him, side by side in full Pilot armor. He slid the photo out of the frame and read the writing on the back. It was his father's. "Like Father, Like Son" it read. In the photo was the exact same helmet and revolver that lay on the table before him. Dustin always wanted to get the helmet fixed, but his father retired soon after it being damaged. That, and his father was always one for battle scars.

The B3 had also belonged to him. It was his favorite sidearm. He always said it kicked just right when you pulled the trigger. Dustin missed his father, and his mother for that matter, both taken from him long before they were due. At least he knew how his dad went, he had no clue as to how his mother died. His father refused to share details, and his normal flamboyancy was lost when the subject was brought up. The only clue he had was within Maximus' records, which wasn't much anyway. Basically, all he knew was that she was a chemist, and one day she left on a scientific mission to an alien world with his father as a guard. She didn't come home. He was only ten.

He held the picture fondly, a single tear streaking across his cheek.

"Dustin! Please get Liam back inside!"

"Alright!" He answered his wife. He took the B3 Wingman off its stand and walked over to the closet door under the stairs. Opening it, he found the bullets at eye level. Loading the gun, he stuck it in the back of his jeans, his belt holding it to him. He walked over to the back door and called for his son, who came scampering inside, leaving Maximus looming in the backyard, staring at his pilot.

" _I am sensing grief from you. What is wrong, old friend?"_

"My father and my mother." He looked up at his Titan. He could feel the emotional connection through the neural link as he stared into that blue optic of his.

" _I apologize, I still retain the same files on your mother's passing. Allison Dewey-McHawken passed on a mission to an alien world. Cause of death unknown. The only possible answer would lie within your father's memory, which is obviously inaccessible now."_

Dustin sighed. "Alright. Well, go ahead and shut down for the night."

" _Affirmative. Goodnight, Dustin."_

"Goodnight," He said as he shut the back door.

Sierra stood in the living room, watching him. He noticed her as he turned around.

"You think they'll come, don't you?" She was plain. Her face gave way to no emotion.

"What makes you think that?" He asked, trying to put on the same mask he did earlier.

"Don't bullshit me. I saw your father's pistol under your belt. That thing hasn't left its stand in years."

His eyes tried to avoid hers, something ultimately unachievable for him. She could see the worry start to show on his features.

"That, and don't think I can't assume what is in the cellar," She continued.

He sighed. "Yes. I admit I'm a little worried."

Sierra sighed. "Well I think we will be fine."

Dustin was surprised. "What?"

"The Militia attacked an IMC troop center about an hour ago. Destroyed it completely. So, now they don't even have enough infantry to send after us," She explained, running her hands through her long blue hair as she did.

Dustin was a little surprised. He rushed forward and picked up his wife, feeling the weight of fear falling off his shoulders. He kissed her affectionately before setting her down.

" _Get a room!"_

Dustin and Sierra, with arms wrapped around one another, looked to the long window over the front door. A glowing blue eye stared through.

"Max! I told you to shut down for the night!" Dustin had a huge smile on his face.

" _Couldn't sleep."_ Maximus replied.

"Oh, bullshit. Whatever happened to the whole "I cannot achieve this" act this morning?"

" _Fair enough. Goodnight. Sierra, try not to scream so loud tonight. Liam may be scarred."_

Sierra let go of Dustin and flicked the Titan off as it walked away. She turned back to her husband. "I'll be up in bed."

He sighed as he watched her ascend the stairs. Was his family really safe? He didn't know. But that's one of the beauties of living on the Frontier: Not knowing. For better or worse. Dustin turned off his TV and the living room lights. He stole a few chips from the cabinet before heading upstairs, leaving darkness behind him as he shut out the lights.

Passing Liam's bedroom, he stopped to say goodnight to his beloved son. However, Liam called to him as he tried to leave. Dustin turned in the doorway and looked at him.

"Where those men soldiers? Like what you used to be?"

Dustin sighed. "No, they are nothing like what I used to be. In more ways than one," He answered. He said one final goodnight and made for his bedroom. Sierra was waiting for him in their room, scantily clad and laying in a suggestive position.

"Better heed Max's warning," Dustin teased.

She rolled her eyes. "Shut up and get over here."

Dustin started to remove his shirt as the door slowly shut behind him.

* * *

A loud crash woke Dustin from sleep. He looked to his wife, her was awakened as well.

"What was that?" Sierra asked groggily.

"I don't know. I'll go look," Dustin responded, swinging his legs out of bed and standing. His father's Wingman was on his bed side table. He grasped it with a tight grip, laying one thumb over the base of another. With the safety off and finger resting on the trigger guard, Dustin slowly walked out of the bedroom and into the short hallway leading to the stairs.

He peered into Liam's room, the boy lying awake in his bed with a fearful look on his face.

There was another crash and he gasped. Dustin pointed the sidearm down the hall, half expecting a Prowler to leap into view. It wasn't so, and Dustin relaxed a little. He turned to his son and motioned for him to stay in his bedroom.

Proceeding down the stairs with care, he aimed in the Wingman into his kitchen as he descended. The dining table was on its side. Taking in a deep breath, he jumped the rest of his way downstairs and pointed into the living room. Nothing. Nothing but a shattered drinking glass he left last night. Additionally, the back door was torn off the hinges, and lay on the floor a few feet away.

He hugged the wall leading up to the closet door, weaving his way around his father's table, and found himself standing in front of the closet door. He could hear a very faint noise coming from inside. A very faint beep. Dustin reached for the knob, and then the beeping heightened in strength before he heard the sound of joint servos moving.

It was too late for him to react. A metallic hand broke through the door and gripped his throat. An IMC Stalker shattered the door as it fully emerged. Wood splinters scattered the floor as the machine lifted Dustin off his feet.

"Dad!"

Dustin turned to look, seeing his son standing at the base of the stairs. The robot began to squeeze. However, Dustin regained his senses and raised the Wingman to its head. A trigger pull shattered the protective alloy and sent circuitry onto the floor. The Stalker dropped its target but still functioned. Another two blows to the chest plate crippled the machine, causing it to keel over onto the floor.

Dustin stood up, gripping his throat as he gasped for breath. His face was red. When he was finished, he gave his son a scolding look. "I told you to stay in the bedroom!"

The window of his front door shattered as more automated infantry tried to gain access to his house. A robotic arm desperately searched for the lock. Once they broke through, Dustin fired a round through a Spectre's head component, and two more into one's chest plate. A third came through.

*Click*

"Damn!" Dustin ran out of ammunition. The Spectre raised its machine gun, only to be shot to pieces from up the stairs. Sierra came down holding Dustin's G2A8 Rifle, something he normally used for fending off Prowlers in the forest. She looked to her husband, who was reloading his pistol while watching her.

He sighed. "Get Liam to safety. I know what I have to do," He said. She nodded and handed him the rifle. He offered her the Wingman. She shook her head.

"I'll use my pistol. Good luck." She ran up the stairs with their son as Dustin stepped outside the front door. A single drop pod rested in his yard, but several more followed. All deployed either Spectres or Stalkers, and three Reapers were dropped from orbit as well.

As the robotic infantry marched on his house, he yelled as loud as he could "Maximus!"

The barn doors shattered as the Titan emerged. _"Combat protocols engaged. Defending McHawken household."_ Max tore apart the first Reaper he saw and continued to fend off the rest as Dustin ran through his house to the back. He threw open the cellar doors and charged down the stairs. Flipping the light switch revealed everything.

His old pilot armor rest on a mannequin near the back of the room. To the left was his jump pack and satchel charges on a table, and to the right there was a workbench he used to keep everything maintained for a night like this.

Approaching the uniform, he stripped out of his sleeping attire and slid the pilot jumpsuit over his body. He hurriedly clamped the armor pieces onto him before retrieving the helmet. All those emergency drills from years ago, flooded into memory. He still had it. The helmet fit snugly around his head and the heads-up-display flared online almost instantly.

With the Wingman in the holster and the G2 Rifle wrapped around his back. He quickly strapped on the jump kit and placed the satchel charges on his belt. He was ready. Ready to fight for what was his.

As he exited the cellar, rifle in hand, he muttered something to himself:

"Once more unto the breach."

He wrapped around the side of his house. It was nostalgic feeling the heavy footfalls of his boots, the clanking of his ordnance around his belt, and his HUD visualizing possible wall run attempts off the side of his house. But, above all, it was the sound of a Titan fighting. Upon seeing his mech, it only brought more memories.

Maximus smashed a Stalker under his foot before smacking another away with the back of his fist.

"Maximus!" Dustin yelled, firing several rounds into Spectre soldiers. The Titan turned and identified its Pilot.

" _Dustin! I guess it's once more unto…."_

"I already said that!"

Dustin fired again and again before exhausting the magazine. While it is a perishable skill, his reloading never faltered, and he was back into action once more. A Spectre squad approached quickly, three of them falling to his rain of bullets. The fourth managed to close the distance and grabbed at the rifle. They wrestled back and forth for it, the drone eventually gaining the upper hand by smashing the side of the gun into Dustin's faceplate.

He fell backwards. Thinking quickly, he drew his sidearm and fired as soon as he hit the ground. The robot's head split into pieces and it collapsed next to him.

Rifle retrieved, he made his way over to Max, who had trampled a squad of Spectre's.

"Max! Embark!"

The Titan looked at him before registering the request. It had been so long. Both were considering how it would feel to do it again. Maximus opened the front hatch with a hiss. Dustin leapt inside, stowing his rifle and sitting down in the Pilot's chair.

The hatch sealed and the neural link reached its peak. The feeling of invincibility! He remembered how euphoric it was. How much it heightened his adrenaline! His heart was pumping so fast! A missile striking the chassis brought him back to reality. He smirked under his helmet. He rushed forward, running over any infantry drones under him. A Reaper attempted to defy him, only to be torn apart by strong, metal hands.

Maximus had no weapons to fight with, only his limbs. The military would allow Dustin to hold onto the Titan, but not a weaponized one.

" _Dustin, incoming hostile titanfall."_

There was a deafening noise, then a loud crash behind the pair. Turning to face the new arrival, a heavily armored Scorch-class rose from the smoke and dust. The impact had shattered some of the house's windows.

His enemy spoke over loudspeaker. _"Should've never defied the IMC, Pilot. Actually, thank you. You earned me another paycheck."_

'Mercenaries' Dustin thought.

"All this for a paycheck? Your kind has always disgusted me."

" _Please, spare me the criticism. Time for you to suffer,"_ The enemy pilot retorted.

To Dustin's surprise, he didn't charge. His Titan turned towards the house, the hatch opening. A hefty pilot landed before it and marched into the shattered front door.

'No'

 _"I'll cover you. Go."_ Maximus said as his hatch opened. Dustin launched off his chair and ran for it. The Scorch Titan left behind by the pilot engaged Max, the two Titans matching each other blow for blow. Only issue was that the hefty, orange mech was much larger and stronger than Dustin's.

As he moved inside the house, he scanned the kitchen for his enemy. Nothing. He heard screams upstairs and promptly used his jump pack to launch himself halfway up the staircase before climbing the rest on foot. His bedroom door was shut, so Dustin picked up enough speed and kicked down the door.

He felt a sudden, sharp pain in his abdomen. A throwing knife had been sent into his stomach, the hilt sticking out for him to grab and make painful attempt to remove. Unfortunately, it was serrated, any attempt of removal would leave his flesh shredded. It would have to wait. The figure stood before him, donned in armor of red and white stripes. The symbol of the Apex Predators was proudly presented on his shoulder and chestplate.

His wife and son were in the corner of the room. Sierra was curled up around Liam, trying to protect him. The boy had genuine fear in his eyes for the first time in his life. He had already seen the attack, now he just witnessed his father be impaled.

The mercenary stood in the middle of the room, staring down Dustin. After a few seconds, his gaze seemed to look beyond him. Dustin turned to the window in time to witness a rocket strike Maximus' leg, crippling the Titan. The Scorch Prime loomed over him, activating its flame shield and driving Max onto his back with it. It left a charred chassis in its wake, the Scorch walking away as Maximus did not stand back up.

At this point, Dustin couldn't understand why the merc didn't kill him. He only found him staring him down again. Sucking up the pain, he charged forward and through the best, albeit weak, punch he could. The pilot dodged with ease, planting a right hook into his ribcage followed by an upper cut, which knocked him onto his back. But instead of going directly for him, the Pilot removed a firestar from his belt. It was sent at Sierra, who held tightly onto Liam as she dove out of the way.

The wood wall was instantly lit up in flames. Sierra struggled to get up, but the Pilot grabbed her and pried her from her son. He threw her onto the bed with impressive strength as two Spectres entered the room.

"Take the boy and wait for my command," He ordered. The machines quickly took Liam away. Dustin pulled the Wingman from it holster and fired. A Spectre fell to the floor, but his next shot was hindered by another knife entering his wrist. With all strength in his wrist and hand sapped from him, the gun fell to the floor and his son was taken away by the remaining robot.

"You are a tenacious one, Mr. McHawken. It's a shame, you're not an Apex Predator. Perhaps your family would live to see you again." His assailant was now crouched before him. Through visors they stared at one another. He spoke again: "But this is result of your choices. I hope your happy with the fruit they bared. Even though the fruit is rotten."

Suddenly, Sierra tackled the Pilot, but to almost no avail outside of briefly stunning him with her audacity. The woman was grabbed by the throat and violently forced against the wall, where she was stabbed twice in the stomach by a blade hidden in the man's wrist. He held here there. He watched her suffer as she wailed in agony, the crimson of her blood soaking into her shirt.

"NO!" Dustin yelled as his adrenaline kicked up once more. He used all his strength reserves to stand and charge, only for a bullet to break through his stomach remove the last of his strength, and hope. The pilot stared at him once more before putting his sidearm away, a P2016. He looked back to the struggling woman he still had pinned to the wall.

"I can at least offer you some solace. Be happy he cared enough to fight, not many do." Sierra looked at him with utter hatred, her last act of defiance as he gently caressed her cheek with his gloved hand. As his fingers touched her throat, the hidden wrist blade surged through her neck and into her head. Blood splattered the floor as he ripped the blade out and concealed it.

He let her go. Time seemed to slow for Dustin as he watched his beloved's body collapse onto the ground in a bloody mess. Her once beautiful, blue-dyed hair, was now spattered in her blood. The mercenary stared him as he stood before him.

"This is only the beginning, Pilot. General Marder gets what he wants and you were foolish to threaten him and his forces." He raised two fingers to the side of his helmet. "All Spectre teams, open fire on predesignated target."

Gunfire from outside filled the Dustin's ears. In the midst of it all, he heard a single, brief scream of a child before it was cut out almost immediately. Tears began to slide down his cheeks and his breath hitched. The Pilot remained for a few moments more before taking his leave.

"Begin extraction, we are done here." His body became transparent before fading from existence almost entirely. Dustin felt alone in a cold world, the only thing keeping him company was his deceased wife and his thoughts of never ending agony and shadow. His final action was pressing a button on his armor, which read that it was administering medical relieve on his HUD. After that, his eyes fluttered shut as he gave into the exhaustion.

 **[Here it is! Chapter 1 of my Titanfall story! I know I have disappeared for a while but I am back! As for RWBY: AoC and Halo: Nova, those stories might never move on. But this one absolutely will! Hope it is good and that everyone enjoys it! Please favorite, review, and by all means PM constructive** **criticism! I know this chapter was a lot of setup, but trust me, everything will kick off in time.]**

 **See you all on the virtual battlefield - Toa of War**


	2. A Fresh Start

Morning light crept through Dustin's visor and seeped through his cracked eyelids. He sighed as he fully awoke, his body still numb from the healing agent. The fire in the corner of the room was gone, evidently due to that portion of the wall giving in and collapsing. Dustin tried to sit up, but remembered both the knife and the bullet lodged in his stomach. The medication his suit administered thankfully slowed the bleeding to the point where it almost stopped. He couldn't feel much of anything, the numbness taking over the rest of his feelings. However, It couldn't hinder his emotions.

His wife, only thirty-five years old, young and beautiful, lay dead next to him. The blood had dried. He desperately fought his restrictions and crawled closer to her. His helmet hissed as he took it off and set it to the side. Her eyes, once a vibrant blue, now are a lifeless gray. He raised his hand to touch her, but realized the knife still lodged in his wrist.

Unlike the one lodged in his stomach, this one was not serrated, and it slid out of his wrist with ease. For bandage, he ripped some of his wife's bloodied T-shirt and wrapped the cloth around it. Dustin stared down at her. It was mind boggling. Last night's events were something he simply couldn't fathom without being given the luxury of time. Which, quite frankly, seems to be always against him.

Sierra's beautiful face, now cold and lifeless. He gently caressed her cheek with his gloved hand. Tears streamed down his face. Dustin could hear faint stomping and looked up to see the now charred chassis of Maximus, still operating and staring through the window at him. Without a word, the robot put his fist through the wall and tore open another hole. He reached in with his other hand and set a small, bloodied bundle on the floor near Dustin.

"No. No!" Dustin stumbled over to it. "Liam…"

His son was looked like nothing more than a target for practice. Holes littered his body, and there was the occasional burned skin from the few energy weapons in use. It was all over his body! Why did the IMC see this as necessary!? Dustin's rage boiled over, hot tears streaming down his cheeks at a constant rate.

"Damn it! Fucking Fuck!" He pounded the floor. "I'm a failure as both a father and a husband! I let this happen! What would my father think of me now?" He asked himself. "I'm so sorry!" He yelled to the heavens. "All I had to do was protect you both and I failed so easily!"

Tears streamed down his cheeks, falling off and striking the floor. He gathered himself for a moment to move his gaze to Maximus, who stared at the dead bundle.

"You alright, Max?" Dustin croaked.

" _Is this what loss feels like?"_

Dustin nodded slowly. The Titan stared on and remained silent, so Dustin turned his attention back to his deceased son. His breath hitched as he looked at the lifeless face. There was nothing but silence and a small patter of rain drops beginning to fall.

"I'm assuming you've already sent out a beacon?" Dustin asked.

" _Yes. Several hours ago. No one has resp…"_

As if it was on que, a dropship jumped into atmosphere above them and started to descend towards the house. It was a murky green, with orange detail. Definitely not an IMC dropship. ON top of the color, it was a different model entirely.

Maximus reached in and gently set his metal hand on Liam's body. _"Goodbye."_ The mech then offered his hand to Dustin, who retrieved his weapons and helmet, to climb on. Maximus set him down outside in the grass, careful of the knife still lodged in the Pilot.

"Damn. Droz, give him some medical relief and contact the MCS Fireblade, tell them to have a medic ready to go. Bear, Davis, go search his house. I wish to speak with the both of you."

Dustin watched the female form approached and heard the accent in her voice. The one he assumed was Droz was already next to him and administering more medication. The other two had disappeared inside. The woman stood before him, staring down at him. Finally, she spoke:

"What happened here?"

* * *

"Ok, so you should heal up quite nicely after a few days. I'm not really concerned about the bullet wound, but the knife was a nasty one. It will take time for you to fully heal, but I predict you be back within operating requirements within a couple days. Afterall, something tells me you've survived worse," The medic said.

Dustin chuckled. "You have no idea," He responded. He was laying on a cot with bandage wrapped around his stomach and wrist. The knife and bullet were successfully removed and he was quite impressed with the medic's capabilities.

"Oh, your armor and weapons have been repaired. Also, the customization for that Titan chassis has been complete and it is ready for transfer." The medic explained.

"Alright," Dustin responded as he sat up, gripping his stomach as a sharp pain shot through him.

"Woah, careful there." The Medic helped him stand, and the two shook hands.

"Thanks, Doc," Dustin said gratefully.

Dustin left the infirmary with a white t-shirt donned to cover the wounds. His felt small pings of pain as he walked, but otherwise the numbing agent was doing its job. He was following directional signs along the corridor walls to find his room, where his gear was. He had to be honest: none of this was expected. The Militia took him in, helped heal his wounds, gave him a private room like all Pilots, and repaired his armor along with customizing a Titan chassis for him. But to top it all off, the 6-4 salvaged some things from the house.

Family pictures, his father's helmet, and other small things that mattered were all taken and awaiting to be sorted through in his room. His mind drifted to his losses. He had pictures of Sierra and Liam, it would hurt to see them let alone have them set around the room. It didn't matter, he had to remember them somehow. However, decorating would have to wait.

He tapped the code into the panel and his door slid open. A decent-sized room was revealed. It wasn't too big but not too small. Like he could complain; they could've forced him to sleep in the barracks after all.

The door shut behind him with the push of a button. Two boxes sat on a desk at the rear of the room. Next to them sat a computer, closer to the corner. On his bunk rested his armor, and leaning on the wall was G2, with the Wingman dangling from a hook on the wall.

He went to his armor. Piece by piece followed the jumpsuit, but without the urgency he had last night, each plate was applied slower, allowing him to "feel" his suit again. With each piece on, he held his helmet in his hands. Dustin stared deep into the visor, then his door opened.

"Everything as you want it?" It was the woman with the accent: Gates.

Dustin smirked. "Yes, but again I don't know why I'm getting treatment like this."

"The Militia values everyone who joins, especially former Pilots who also happen to be decorated."

"That's one way of describing it. So, what would you have me do?" Dustin asked, looking towards the helmeted female.

"We have special plans for people with your type of skill and experience. While you won't be directly joining the 6-4, you'll be joining a unit called The Rangers. They branched off from us and are a separate unit, even though in technicality I still have command over them. The team is headed by a good friend of mine, Captain Hathorne. They lost a man during the Battle of Demeter."

Dustin nodded. "Sounds interesting. When do I get to meet them?"

"Now if you want. They didn't travel to the Fireblade to not meet their newest member. One thing though, I suggest not asking about the lost man. The event is still so raw in their minds that it will do more harm than good to ask, especially since you're just joining," she responded.

"Sure! Might as well. And I won't ask. I'm sure once they are ready for me to know they'll tell me."

With that, Gates led Dustin out into the hall, moving through the twists and turns until the approached the Titan barracks. The doors slid open, revealing a large, bustling area. Several types of Titans stomped about while some were "sleeping". Pilots and engineers tended to damages or other types of maintenance.

"Oh, we also need you to do the switch yourself. Your Titan has refused to allow anyone to remove his data core and says you're the only one he will allow."

"Done," Dustin responded.

"Good. Your team is right up ahead. Those guys," Gates pointed ahead, several Pilots with their Titans stood scattered yet close enough to be considered a group. One Pilot, armor hefty with a robotic arm reaching over his shoulder, appeared to be tuning an X-55 Devotion LMG while sitting on a crate. Another, obviously a female based off the tight pilot suit she wore, was inside the cockpit of her woodland camo Northstar-class, which had a monarch butterfly carrying a 50. Caliber bullet on the hull.

"Hey! Jessie! When are you taking me out for that dinner you promised weeks ago?!" The hefty male yelled.

The woman looked up from her work on the Titan's control panel. "I don't know. Maybe if you promise to rock my night I'll make it sooner than later," She teased.

"Ha, that can be arranged," The man chuckled.

Gates spoked up: "Hey, Stratton! Birk! Come meet your new teammate!"

The man looked up and set his weapon to the side. He removed his helmet, revealing black hair and a short beard. He stood up and began to walk over. The woman jumped from her Titan and landed with grace. She followed her male friend as she removed her own helmet, brown hair spilling out.

"Bout damn time!" The male yelled. "Lieutenant Michael Stratton, team heavy gunner." He reached his hand out and met Dustin's for a firm handshake. He pointed behind him. "Big guy back there is Hellfire. Don't worry he is friendlier then he looks."

A Scorch-class Titan heard its name and turned in response, giving a thumbs up. It had black stirpes going down the front hull, and was covered in black and orange splotches.

"And I'm Lieutenant Jessica Birk, But the guys call me Jessie. Back there is Monarch. Welcome aboard!"

"What do we have here?!" A deep, commanding voice echoed throughout the barracks. A helmetless man approached. Behind him loomed a massive orange and black Legion-class Titan with a red skull contained by a star on the hatch.

"It's your new member, dumbass!" Gates yelled.

"Ah, Gates! As lovely as ever!" The man responded. He was black, with graying hair and stubble. His face was littered with scars.

"I am Captain Jango Hathorne. I lead The Rangers." He shook Dustin's hand. "That's Rook, the most reliable son-of-a-bitch out there." In response to the praise, the Titan smashed its fists together, creating a small barrage of sparks that fell to the metal floor.

" _Rook, ready to serve!"_ It bellowed.

Dustin looked beyond Hathorne and caught a glimpse of what looked like two Spectres approaching, with Titans in tow.

"They have Spectre Pilots now?" He inquired.

Hathorne stifled a chuckle. "No. Those two are part of a brand-new project. It allows people with disabilities to effectively serve the military. We acquired this from a raid on the IMC a while back. The actual human-side of those guys are laying in a coffin-type thing with their minds currently controlling those."

The pair approached. "Greetings," the female said. "I am Anya DeSanto. Behind me is RC." An Ion-class stood behind her with an IMC paintjob, but the logo of the 6-4 proudly presented on its hatch. "The militia stole her in a raid. Never really got around to getting the paintjob redone. That, and it confuses the hell out of the IMC."

Dustin nodded, impressed by the cleverness behind her idea of psychological warfare. It was a minor form, but still a form.

The male spoke with a tone that displayed a "happy-go-lucky" personality. "I'm Phillip Johnson! It's nice to meet you, Pilot! Behind me is Sideswipe," He gestured towards his Ronin-class. It was gray with blue detail, a samurai helmet and two crossed swords decorating the hull.

 _"Greetings, Lieutenant"_ Sideswipe said, pointing its pointer and middle fingers up and slightly bowing.

"Lieutenant?" Dustin questioned.

"Yes, you joining our ranks put you at Lieutenant. All Pilots are an officer," Gates responded.

Dustin nodded. "So anything under that…"

"You have command over. Yes. Don't abuse it," Gates finished. "Now that you've met the team, I do believe that you have a Titan to talk to."

A stomping was easily heard behind him. He swiveled himself around to look directly into Maximus' blue optic, still surrounded by the black charring.

"Alright, Max, ready to transfer to a new body?"

The Titan stared at him, then spoke: _"There was a time when you told me we would never fight again. That life would be peaceful. Let me ask, is this change being driven by our loses?"_

"Our" loses. The Titan truly was family, and Dustin couldn't ask for a better companion for something like this.

Dustin responded with one, sturdy word: "Yes."

With that, Maximus did not respond. There was a hiss, then his data core released itself, which was then retrieved by Dustin. He carried it over to the new chassis: A Tone-class colored in a story gray. It bore a picture of a young woman lying on her stomach with blue hair. It was a picture of Sierra. Near where the data core would be placed was an engraving that said "For Liam."

Dustin climbed onto a small lift, which brought him up to the same level as the hatch. He placed the data core in its reciprocal. Within moments, it glowed a bright blue once more and the eye turned to look at its Pilot.

 _"Feels…new."_

Dustin smirked. He watched the Titan examine itself before alarms around the ship began to ring. The normal lighting was replaced by flashing red. A man came up over the loud speaker:

" _All combat units, report to hanger area! IMC incursion on surface below! Reinforcements requested! Titanfalls have been authorized!"_

Several of the unknown Pilots rushed to gear up with their Titans. Dustin had lowered the lift and ran over to the group.

"I have to gather the other 6-4! I'll see you down there!" Gates pointed to Hathorne as she ran off.

Dustin approached quickly, some of the Rangers already having dispersed. "Hathorne!"

The Captain turned towards him. "McHawken! Feel free to stay behind for this one! I realize you might not be…"

"Sir, I wish to join!"

Hathorne thought for a moment before sliding his helmet on, one of an angular design. "Permission granted. But don't make me bury you now!" Rook picked Hathorne up and set him in the cockpit, shutting the hatch. _"Let's move, Rangers!"_ Hathorne yelled over loudspeaker.

Dustin turned to Max. "Ready, bud?"

The Titan returned his gaze. _"Always."_

Before Dustin could embark, he felt a playful punch on his shoulder pad. He turned to see Michael, who nodded at him.

"Welcome to the family!"

* * *

 **[Here it is! Chapter 2! So far, everything seems to be well received, so I hope the trend continues with the addition of chapters. This one was brief, but necessary. Up next, everyone gets to see The Rangers in action! Please favorite, review, and don't be afraid to PM me any constructive criticism or questions!]**

 **See you all on the virtual battlefield - Toa of War**


	3. Back At It

The Marvin gave Dustin a thumbs up, which the Pilot returned. He always liked the worker robots, so happy-go-lucky. It was kinda fascinating, though he did of cases were they would enter a state of depression should they lose a tool or something.

He was in Max's cockpit, the hatch wide open. He could see Phillip in front of him, hooked up to the Titan launcher as well.

"You ready?" Dustin heard his voice inside his helmet, a small icon on the right side of his HUD showed a profile picture of Phillip in his robotic state. It made Dustin wonder if he would ever see the real one.

"Ready as I will ever be," He responded.

"Good spirit. That shit makes a good Pilot. You'll do just fine down there!" Dustin could already tell he was gonna like being on the same team as this one.

"Thanks! I just hope I fair better against IMC Pilots compared to the Apex Predator that attacked me last night."

"Yeah lets….wait what!?"

Before Dustin could respond, a man over loudspeaker announced that Titanfall would execute in thirty seconds. Every Titan closed their hatch, and mechanical arm handed each their weapon. Dustin was giving the 40mm tracker cannon, customary for the Tone-class. It was essential for getting lock-ons after all.

"We are talking after we win this," He heard Phillip say.

" _Titanfall in three…two…one…"_

Dustin suddenly felt weightless. The metal room around him was replaced with dark rain clouds and a gray sky. He could see the majestic mountains off in the horizon. He looked down. The town itself looked somewhat ok, save for a fire here and there. But what really caught his eye was how warfare appeared from a birds-eye view. Of course, he'd seen it before, but it never failed to leave him in awe.

Then he felt the resistance of thrusters and the final crash as he collided with the surface. Dirt shot everywhere due to the shockwave. He had landed close to the town entrance. Looking up, Dustin noticed his allies falling, smashing into the ground in different locations. He was told they would be dropped at separate coordinates to cover more ground.

"Alright, Max. Let's do this," Dustin said.

" _I'm ready."_

Deploying the cannon, the pair charged towards the town. This was nothing but attrition, so the only objective he was given was to drive the IMC out and keep civilians in and alive. Of course, the latter was a little difficult due to the giant robots, but he could make it work.

A small arch was in place as decoration for the town entrance, but it was easily smashed out of the way as Maximus charged in. Two groups of grunts shot at one another in the streets before him. Dustin picked out the distinctive white uniforms and opened fire. Two IMC soldiers were caught in the blast of the first shot. More followed as he continued, one being eviscerated by a direct hit. No matter how much he would do that, Dustin would always cringe at the sight. With the grunts cleared out, and the Militia fighters moving on into a building, Dustin chose to follow the road and clear out anyone in the way.

There was Spectres here and there, sometimes reinforced by Stalker squads, but nothing too much for a Titan to handle. Dustin easily left shattered cybernetic parts in his wake. Then, the Reapers started to fall. Two of them charged up their missile launchers and opened fire on Dustin and Maximus.

" _I recommend using the particle wall. Their missiles do heavy damage against Titan hulls,"_ Max reported.

Dustin took the recommendation and placed the particle wall before him, blocking the incoming projectiles. He launched a sonar pulse and gained partial locks onto the pair of machines. 40mm rounds caused them both to stumble backwards, but otherwise the Reapers pressed their assault. Having acquired the necessary locks, Dustin fired two missile salvos, shredding the robots into fragments of their original selves.

Dustin sighed with content. It was every bit as satisfying as he remembered it to be. Though, in his military years, robotic infantry was somewhat of a rarity. However, what he did encounter was destroyed to his amusement.

He turned around a building, continuing follow the road. So far, everything had been easy. He hadn't encountered any Titans yet. Well, he hasn't at least. Up ahead was a Titan he recognized: Michael's Scorch-class, Hellfire.

Michael blew through a window, landing with grace considering his hefty armor. Grunts near him fell as he held down the trigger. His Devotion tore everything up. A Reaper and a squad of Stalkers started bearing down on his position. He threw down an A-wall and fired to eliminate the Stalkers. Hellfire launched a thermite shell into the Reaper, setting its circuitry ablaze.

An enemy Titan, Ronin-class, approached quickly. Michael embarked into Hellfire as the sword swung and struck the heavily armored Titan. Its thick plates prevented any serious damage. The Ronin went threw a punch with its other hand, only to have it caught by Hellfire's grasped. The Scorch ripped the limb from its socket and tossed it away. Attempting one last attack out of desperation, the Ronin swung its blade again. Michael reacted by wrapping Hellfire's arms around the Titan and forcing it to the ground, followed by a heavy stomp into the cockpit.

It was obvious to Dustin that Michael knew his way around Titan V. Titan combat. Then he saw Phillip in Sideswipe taking down an Ion. His attack patterns showcased graceful, calculated strikes compared to Michael's use of pure force. Phillip finished his foe with a stab through the hull. The machine collapsed to the ground and Phillip moved on to hunt for another enemy.

Then, Dustin noticed something off to the side. He turned, reacting to a Pilot attempting to rodeo Maximus. Dustin grabbed the Pilot in Max's steel grasp. He turned and threw him, only for another Tone-class to catch the Pilot in its cockpit. The hatch sealed.

" _Come and get some, Pilot,"_ He announced.

Dustin charged forward, dropping his 40mm and locking hands with the enemy. They struggled, one gaining the advantage one moment before the other countered with more force. Dustin raised Max's leg and kicked the Titan back. Taking the opportunity, he tried to throw a punch at the optic, but the enemy used his momentum against him and drove him into a building. Bricks fell onto Maximus, but he quickly stood.

His enemy performed a right hook. Dustin blocked it and drove Max's fist into the front. The Titan recoiled back. Dustin tackled it, repeatedly pounding the front as they crashed to the ground. The fight was now becoming really violent, with both machines thrashing to gain control over the situation. Dustin must have had more experience, as he started to overpower his opponent.

His fist breached the hull and yanked the Pilot out of his chair. He pounded on the metal hand, a futile attempt at escaping Maximus' grasp. Dustin swung Max's arm and released, throwing the Pilot off in some random direction behind him. Dustin's communications suddenly flared up:

" _This is Captain John Harrows of the SRS! Me and two additional Militia Titans are pinned down on the outskirts of town! We have retreated into a nearby dormant canal, but IMC Titans have us against the wall here!"_

"This is Lieutenant Dustin McHawken of The Rangers. Your call is heard and I am on my way, Captain!" He responded.

" _Thank, Christ! Bring some backup there is too many here!"_

Ceasing communications with one Captain, Dustin spoke with another:

"Captain Hathorne! We have allies trapped outside the town and I am going to assist! He recommended backup!"

" _I heard. I am close to your position, just keep moving towards Harrows' beacon and we will meet up! I have DeSanto with me and I have already asked Birk for aerial support!"_

"Roger that, moving in!"

Dustin picked up his cannon and charged through the town. More IMC and Militia units were seen engaging one another in the streets. Anyone that got in his way and wasn't allied was blasted by the 40mm. He could see the edge of town, the short wall bordering it was clear of activity, so it was a straight…

" _Not so fast, Pilot!"_

A Northstar collided with him and propelled him into a building. Dustin could feel small hints of pain in his abdomen, but the numbness that was administered to him earlier was stronger. The Northstar's lighter frame allowed him to easily kick it off, but it retaliated with a cluster missile. Dustin leapt to the side, the missile flying past Maximus' legs and further damaging the building behind him.

Dustin fired the 40mm repeatedly, hitting the Northstar twice. The Titan effectively dodged the other rounds, but still had two locks on it. Equipping its railgun, it fired past Dustin as he maneuvered Maximus, moving to the left then charging to the right. The Northstar attempted to take off, but a quick thrust upward was all Dustin needed to grab hold and drag the Titan down.

"You're staying on my level, you bastard."

" _Hey, McHawken! Let him go!"_ Jessie said over comms.

"What? Why!"

" _Well if you let him go, I'll show ya!"_

He sighed with a smile. "Great, another smartass other than Maximus," Dustin whispered. "Alright, he's coming up!"

Dustin punched across the front of the chassis to spite the Pilot inside, then let go, allowing his still ignited jets to take him away. Jessica came soaring by, wrapping Monarch's arms around the enemy and took him higher. The force caused him to drop his railgun. Jessica turned to the ground, flying full speed downward before letting go and pulling up. The enemy Northstar collided with the ground, the sound of crunching metal prominent.

Upon examination, Dustin found a wreck of a Titan. He could pick up a faint life force on his radar inside the wreck, but chose to forget it. Jessie soared over him as he charged past the exit of town and towards the canal. He could already see the hefty form of Rook through the trees.

" _Good to see you are doing ok. How's the wounds?"_ Hathorne asked.

"I tell you what, Captain, whatever numbing agent you guys use, they work like a charm!" Dustin responded.

" _Good, because the battle isn't over yet! The canal is just up ahead!"_

Dustin could hear the gunfire of massive weapons. "What's that plan?"

" _There is a ridge just up ahead overlooking the canal. We position ourselves up here and fire down on those bastards. Birk, the sky is yours."_

 _"Roger that, Captain,"_ Birk replied.

"Sounds like a plan. 40mm is locked and loaded," Dustin reported.

Coming up on the ridge, Dustin took a knee and observed the battle below. Three Militia Titans, an Ion, a Tone, and a model he has never seen before. On the opposite end, seven IMC Titans closed in on the trio. Dustin picked out two Legions, three Ions, a Scorch, and a Tone.

"Damn. They want these guys dead," He said to himself. "Got a solution, Maximus?"

" _I do. Allow me two minutes to charge up the salvo core."_

Perfect.

Hathorne was several feet to Dustin's right. He started to spin the predator cannons barrels. _"Engage!"_

A constant stream of bullets barraged the IMC mechs. Dustin's 40mm fired, ejecting its casings onto the grass near him. The enemy Titans took cover quickly, but one Ion was overwhelmed by the sudden attack and detonated. There was no ejection, no blood or body parts. These were automated Titans.

"I guess that Spyglass bot is running low on Pilots," Dustin commented.

" _One minute until salvo,"_ Max reported.

Dustin kept launching rounds upon the Titans cover. Hathorne was reloading his minigun. IMC dropships flew in from above but were shot down by Jessica, who flew overhead and drew her railgun. She got a quick shot off, crippling the IMC Tone, before flying away from the enemy fire. The Tone's leg was shattered and it collapsed to the ground, scrambling to regain its cover.

But Dustin took advantage of its situation. A well-placed round through the optic destroyed the Titan. The other Titans were placed just right in cover that Dustin couldn't hit them, but they could hit him. A plasma shot from an Ion struck him, making him react with a particle wall. Rounds from the twin Legions fired up at Hathorne and Rook, the heavy armored Titan taking the blows but being forced to duck down.

" _Salvo online."_

"What's the best way to do this, Max?!"

" _The Salvo core is very powerful and should be able to destroy their cover and highly damage the enemy Titans. However, we will be vulnerable."_

"Alright." Dustin tapped into the comms. "Captain Hathorne, Captain Harrows, I need covering fire! I have a salvo online!"

" _Roger that. Covering fire!"_ It was Harrows that responded first. The three Militia Titans below left cover and opened fire. Hathorne didn't respond, only firing as requested. The particle wall wasn't ready yet, so Dustin could only hope he didn't get eaten alive by bullets.

Charging up to the edge, both the shoulder mounted missile launchers readied themselves and fired. A startling number of missiles left the tubes and barraged the cover and IMC. With their defenses shattered, Dustin focused fire on the Legions, one exploding and the other crippling to the ground, but still online.

Dazed by the attack, the two Ions were destroyed by the Militia Titans below. They cheered over the comms as they marched out of cover. But something felt off to Dustin. What was it? The Ions, the Tone, the Legions…. shit!

The remaining Scorch, as damaged as it was, burst from the rubble and surprised attacked the Militia Ion. The Pilot screamed in fight over the comms as the heftier Titan tore the right leg off his Titan. Without anyway to stabilize his Titan, the Pilot couldn't resist as the Scorch lifted its foot and forcibly kicked the Titan onto its back.

Before any killing blow could be delivered, the Unknown class Titan piloted by Harrows charged up and tackled the Scorch. He pinned its arms down and two acolyte missile pods rose from over his shoulders. The pods seemingly fired hell itself into the enemy mech. Harrows stood and the hatch opened. He dropped to the ground and started towards the downed Ion. His Titan scanned the area, pointing its XO-16 in every direction. The Militia Tone stomped over, its hatch opening as well. The Pilot only perched herself on the edge and looked down.

" _Let's get down there,"_ Hathorne said, carefully lowering Rook into the canal.

Dustin did the same with Maximus, carefully choosing his steps. It's not that a fall of this kind would really do anything, it just wasn't exactly the most enjoyable experience one could have inside a Titan.

Once Dustin and Hathorne were in the canal, they both left their Titans and rushed over to where Harrows stood before the Ion.

"AS-1894, are you still online?" He was asking.

A female voice responded: _"Affirmative. Opening hatch."_

The AI seemed like it was struggling. Harrows checked the battery to find it was damaged. AS was only able to slightly open her hatch, but not enough to get the Pilot out.

"Brakiss! Get me a spare!"

The other Pilot, still perched on her Tone's hatch, gave a brief two fingered salute and climbed inside. Several seconds later she emerged with another battery. Hopping down, she brought it to Harrows, who replaced the damaged one. The Ion now was able to open its hatch.

"Peterson!" Harrows yelled as he wrapped his arms around the Pilot and pulled him out. Dustin rushed over and helped him bring the body out and lay it on the ground. The Ion watched intently as Harrows worked to help her Pilot.

"Ok! I have a pulse. He's only unconscious!" Harrows removed Peterson's helmet.

Dustin's first reaction was nothing but shock. The face, it was so young.

"How old is he?" He asked.

"Nineteen," Harrows responded.

"Nineteen?! He's fucking nineteen and fighting a war like this?!"

Harrows looked up at him and sighed behind his helmet. "Not everyone here had a choice."

Dustin stared down at his face. His mouth moved slightly with each breath. Dustin thought back, he was a Pilot by age twenty. But the biggest difference was the type of war. Dustin was only involved in special operations. His first large scale battle didn't come until he was twenty-six, and it changed him forever. Now he stared at a nineteen-year-old young man who had seen gore beyond belief.

"That was a pretty nasty hit," Harrows said as he administered some form of medication. Dustin assumed it was a painkiller. "Brass, come here."

Harrows' Titan stomped over, stowing its XO-16 on its back. It's cylindrical optic center glanced at everyone around Peterson before resting on the unconscious man. _"What would you have me do?"_

"Carry this poor lad in the cockpit."

Brass opened his hatch and lifted the Pilot into the seat. Dustin looked for Hathorne, who he found several feet away with his hand up to his helmet. Several seconds went by and he turned to Dustin, removing his hand from its place.

"Battles won. IMC forces are pulling out. Spyglass must be annoyed beyond all belief."

Dustin nodded. "Good."

Hathorne walked to Harrows. "Harrows, the battle is won. Whether your forces stay or leave has been up to you, but as for The Rangers, we are departing for The Fireblade immediately."

"Thanks, Jango. Saved my ass again. I owe you a drink."

Hathorne shook hands with him. "No, you don't John. You owe me the whole damn bar!"

They both laughed and began chatting as the female approached Dustin. "I haven't seen you before. New?"

"New to being a Pilot? No. The Rangers? Yes."

"Hm. Well, welcome to the fight." She removed her helmet, revealing black hair and a scar running down the right side of her face.

"Thanks!" Before Dustin could say anything else, he heard the sound of laser fire and turned towards it.

"Woohoo! Hell yeah!" It was Michael, firing his Devotion into the air. "We showed white jacket bastards!" Hellfire loomed behind, watching his Pilot with amusement."

The rest of The Rangers surrounded the happy Pilot. Dustin felt a hand on his shoulder. "Time to head back to the Fireblade. I believe you have a room to organize," Hathorne said.

"Yeah," He responded. "Time to officially get settled into another life."

* * *

"You did what!" Blisk pounded on the table, his liquor slightly spilling from the bottle.

The figure before him remained silent and stared at his boss. "It will be complete in time," He responded.

"Shadow, I'm getting sick of your games, you twisted bastard!"

"You always say to enjoy my work."

"Yes, but don't allow your sick tortures to interfere with said work!"

"I understand." The figure remained unstirred by Blisk's words.

"Now I'm sure you can understand why I don't believe you. So, I'm going to leave it at this: next time you run into Dustin McHawken, you end him."

Shadow nodded, then left the room, marching down the hall. He entered his personal quarters. Pictures were pinned to a large corkboard in the back of the room. A photo of Dustin was connected to photos of his wife and son, both crossed out with a red X. Shadow looked over the board, It wasn't like his target had anyone close to him. Except for that Anthony Shepherd, who wasn't home when Shadow arrived. There was no trace of were Dustin's friend had gone.

Shadow thought back to his conversation with Blisk. It wasn't like he had any more people to eliminate. Dustin McHawken was now alone. The torment of losing his family must be eating him alive by now. Shadow felt an excited tingle run through his body at the thought. He looked up the cork board, following two lines that connected above Dustin. Maybe there was one, or two, more ways to make him suffer…

 **[Hey, everyone! Sorry for the delay but I have been really busy going back to work and the weekend flying by. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Every favorite, follow, and review is extremely appreciated and raises my confidence in this story. So thank you all!**

 **On another note, I would like to take a moment to express my remembrance for a great man: Monty Oum. He inspired me to write and create, and gave the world RWBY, which remains one of my favorite fictional universes to date. I feel connected to RWBY because if that universe was our reality, being a Huntsman is what I'd do. Sounds weird, but I figured I'd share why this day hits me as hard as it does.**

 **Anyways, thank you all again!]**

 **See you on the virtual battlefield - Toa of War**


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